AV Girls LAX - Varsity

The Amador Valley Don’s women’s lacrosse team took a long 2 hour bus ride to Sacramento on Tuesday night and faced up against one of Northern California’s better teams. The Dons worked hard and led 5-4 at half before falling to an excellent Granite Bay team by the final score of 14-9.

The Dons struggled to keep pace with Grizzlies in the second half as the Dons were help to just 4 second half goals while the Grizzlies netted 9 money makers.

Grace French, Alexis Bayani, Erica Haley, Maddy Riddle, Kaitlyn Sweeny and the rest of the Dons defense did their best to slow down Granite Bay but the Grizzlies willingness to share the ball was the key to their second half success.

Bella Mayo was the lone bright spot for the Dons offensively. Mayo scored 4 times for the Dons.

Written by Dan Sweeney

Happy Sunday Amador Lacrosse Families!

We have one more week until Spring Break and we have a big week ahead of us with some exciting games! Please see below for the details for this week.

THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE:
Monday 3/25: JV Practice at Amador from 3:30pm-5:30pm, Varsity Practice at Amador from 5:30pm-7:30pm.

Tuesday 3/26: AWAY Game vs. Granite Bay! (PURPLE Uniforms!)
JV Game at 5:30pm, Varsity Game at 7:00 (*Taking a Bus)
FIELD ADDRESS: 1 Grizzly Way, Granite Bay, CA 95746

We are taking a bus to this game and every player is required to travel to and from the game on the bus.

• ALL players are released from school at 1:40pm and must meet in the Amador parking lot at 2:00pm. The bus will leave at 2:10pm.

• Please make sure to bring snacks, layers, homework, etc. since Varsity will be watching the JV game and JV will be staying and watching the Varsity game!

• We will be ordering pizza for both teams after their game as dinner. WE NEED a volunteer to help order the pizza for both teams! Please let me know ASAP if you can help.

Wednesday 3/27: JV Practice at Amador from 3:30pm-5:30pm, Varsity Practice at Amador from 5:30pm-7:30pm.

• Varsity will start practice by watching 30 minutes of film in room Q204. Please meet in the classroom at 5:15pm.

Thursday 3/28: JV Practice at Amador from 3:30pm-5:30pm, Varsity Practice at Amador from 5:30pm-7:30pm.

• JV Pasta Feed at Taqueria Don Chepe (929 Main Street)

• Varsity Pasta Feed at The Diligent House – Signup to bring an item here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090549adae29a57-pasta3

Friday 3/29: HOME Game vs. San Ramon! (WHITE Uniforms!)
JV Game at 5:30pm, Varsity Game at 7:00

• JV players should meet at the fields at 4:15pm
• Varsity players should meet in Diana’s Room (P-1) at 5:40pm

Saturday 3/30: AWAY Game vs. Menlo-Varsity ONLY!
Varsity Game at 11:00am (*Taking a Bus)
FIELD ADDRESS: 50 Valparaiso Ave, Atherton, CA 94027

We are taking a bus to this game and every player is required to travel to and from the game on the bus.
ALL Varsity players must meet in the Amador parking lot at 9:05am. The bus will leave at 9:15am.
IF the bus driver allows it, we would like to do a Team Lunch after the game somewhere in the Atherton area. If anyone wants to help facilitate this, please let me know!

OTHER IMPORTANT UPDATES:
Mixed Up JV Lacrosse Stick:
We had a parent on the Granada JV team reach out letting us know that her daughter believes she switched sticks with someone on the Amador JV team during a timeout when the players left their sticks on the field. Please have their daughters check their sticks to make sure they didn’t go home with the wrong stick. It’s a black STX stick.

Please reach out if you have any questions!! Thank you and GO DONS!

Chelsea Randel
Amador Valley Girls Lacrosse Head Coach
(925) 209-1093
GO DONS!

Well I took notes for the game out of habit. But in the end, it was a secure victory from start to finish. The Dons came out of the gate blazing despite being short handed. Each member of the team had a chance to shine on the field. All the defensive players had opportunities to get in on the scoring action. Once again playing teams without youth programs in the area is a testament to our local club Pleasanton pride. And, most importantly we should be thankful for the coaches who helped ensure we have a solid core of girls graduating to the high school level. Next week we face off against some incredible competition. The first match will be our furthest travel game of the season at Granite Bay. Granite Bay boasts an impressive perfect record with notable wins against California, Carondelet and Davis. So this will be a very interesting matchup to watch. If that wasn’t good enough for you, Friday will be Vs San Ramon Valley at home. San Ramon Valley will also enter the match undefeated. The Wolves have clipped Amador at every meeting for the past 2 years. I am very hopeful that this is the year we take home a victory. Lastly, the Dons will go back to back against Menlo School on Saturday morning. Not much room for error in the coming week. Hopefully, the team comes ready to go to war, as major battles are on the horizon.

Written by Jake Bayani

Last year’s match up was a nail biter in the pouring rain at the Blue Devil’s stadium. The Dons eventually escaped with a 7-6 win but was constantly under pressure by a team that would grind their offense at an incredibly slow pace. This year’s Davis team has been thinned out by graduating seniors and have only had a single victory, thus far.

It was a rapid volley of successive goals to open the match. The midfield trio of Sophia Shiblaq, Marley Diligent, and Bella Mayo easily controlled the opening draws. The first goal was a bang bang affair from Diligent, to Grace French, then Isa Clark in the left wing. Isa would drive down and find Sweeney in the right short corner for a quick goal. Kalenna Johnson would tally her first goal off the penalty line next. Mady Sweeney’s penalty shot, on the next possession, would be deflected. Sam Nimmo would make a swift recovery of the ground ball. Mayo would eventually drive and earn a trip to the 8 meter. Her penalty shot would easily sail in. Davis would finally respond with a well-timed pass to a cutter inside. Diligent would respond with a drive from draw. Marley would break right and shoot low, 4-1 Dons. Davis would regroup with a timeout. Sweeney would weave through the offense and find Nimmo crossing the center of the 8. Sam’s shot would find the high right corner to notch another Amador goal. The next Amador shot would be saved by the goalie. Strong transition defense would result in Johnson picking up the turnover and getting to the penalty line. Johnson would hit Mayo, off the whistle, as she cut across the center for goal. Mayo would get back to back goals despite a Blue Devil stick obstructing her shot, 7-1. Alexis Bayani would pick up a loose ground ball after the draw to send the Dons back on offense. Despite good ball movement on offense a dropped pass would allowed the Blue Devils to get back on attack. A big defensive stand ensued as the Dons defense exerted heavy pressure by doubling Davis ball handlers. Blake Guidice would eventually get the save and release a clean outlet. Nimmo would curl from X and charge the center. Mayo would receive the ball at the short right corner and cut left. Her shot would trail behind her and find the net. Catherine Murphy would get in on the action by scooping a loose ball in the wing and drive to the center for goal. Another defensive stand by the Dons would be rewarded with a Caitlyn Sweeney ground ball pickup. The transition would run clean to Murphy, then Mady Sweeney at X. Mady would send a lazer to Nimmo as she accelerated downhill from the top of the 8. Nimmo would rocket in another Don goal. Grace French would notch a goal courtesy of a Nimmo assist during the next set. The Blue Devils would execute an excellent pass again from the wing to a cutter through the 8 meter, 11-2. Davis’s only goals coming from perfect passes to cutters. Alexis Bayani would narrow the shooting lane and Guidice would scoop the ball out of the air for a save. On the offensive side Mady Sweeney would start from the short corner off a foul. Mady would target a driving Grace French for goal. Davis would make a defensive stand of their own and transition to the foul line. Unfortunately, a running clock in the closing seconds of the half negated a penalty shot opportunity.
The second half would start with a running clock due to the 10 goal differential. Once again a small twinge of fear crept back in as I heard whisper’s of “remember St. Ignatius.” The Blue Devils would even stoke some of that caution with a goal off a Don turnover. Thankfully, Victoria Frenz would pass to a driving Mayo. Bella would easily score while diving forward. Marley Diligent was beginning to take over the draw circle by scooping up loose balls. Isa would find Nimmo cutting across the 8 on the next possession to push the score to 14-3. Defense locked down once more as Madelynn Riddle, Kiki Sweeney, Alexis Bayani, and Erica Haley assisted the midfielders in doubling the attackers and sliding to form walls against the Blue Devil offense. They would force a turnover, cycle the ball multiple times in the backfield and push through to get the Dons back on offense. Davis would only score one more time off a penalty. Additional goals by Mayo, Johnson, and Murphy would seal the game. Claire Lemelin would tally an additional save to deny the Blue Devils in the closing minutes. The Dons would cruise out of the match with an 18-4 victory. A punishing offensive attack and stout defense from start to finish ensured another Amador victory. The Dons will travel to Livermore High school this Friday. See all you lacrosse fans there.

Written by Jake Bayani

The Amador Valley Dons took on the Carondelet Cougars, Friday night in Walnut Creek, California. Walking into the home team’s impressive sports complex was a treat for the lady Dons. Walking out with a 16 to 8 victory was no trick. The Dons kept it simple and attacked the Cougars offensively while playing defense passionately and with communication.

The Dons wasted little time reminding the Cougars that they came to play lacrosse. And play they did. Running around and through the Carondelet defense was the first half – second half combination of Mady Sweeney and Bella Mayo. Sweeney and Mayo combined for 9 of the Dons 16 goals, with Sweeney netting 4 in the first half and Mayo firing home 5, in the second half.

Mayo and Sweeney were not alone however as multiple other Dons got in on the scoring act. Lily Manos Marley Diligent and Catherine “The Law” Murphy each added 2 goals and Sam Nimmo found the back of the net as well to close out the scoring for the Dons. The Don’s got great team play from Isa Clark, Victoria Frentz and Sophia Shiblach, as each assisted on the Dons scoring.

The Dons defense was led by the goalie play of Blake Guidice and Claire Lemolin. Guidice turned back numerous Carondelet shots in the first half and Lemolin was equally stout in the second half. Defenders Kaitlyn Sweeney, Grace French, Maddie Riddle, Erica Haley and Alexis Bayani played with passion and consistently harassed the Cougar offensive attack.

Written by Dan Sweeney

The win improves the Dons record to 3-0 in EBAL play with the big showdown versus San Ramon looming in two weeks.